Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg - Vienna, Austria
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Metro2
N 48° 12.276 E 016° 21.640
33U E 601096 N 5339936
This sculpture is part of the Maria Theresa Monument in Vienna.
Waymark Code: WMK42J
Location: Wien, Austria
Date Posted: 02/09/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Ianatlarge
Views: 21

The 1888 Maria Theresa Monument in Vienna has several sculptures of people important to the life of the Empress. Tis one of Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg depicts him larger than life, standing and wearing long dress-like robes. His left hand rest casually on his hip while his right hand holds a scroll at his side. He is portrayed as a middle-aged to older man with long hair (or a wig). Three other men stand behind him. The artist of the 1888 bronze work is Caspar von Zumbusch.
Wikipedia's article for Kaunitz (visit link) has an additional photo and informs us:

"Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (Czech: Václav Antonín z Kounic a Rietbergu, German: Wenzel Anton Fürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg) (2 February 1711 – 27 June 1794) was a diplomat and statesman of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1764 he was made a prince of the Holy Roman Empire as Reichfürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg and in 1776 prince of the Kingdom of Bohemia...

Foreign Minister

Kaunitz's most important and extremely influential office was that of the chancellor of state and minister of foreign affairs, which he held 1753-93 and where he had Empress Maria Theresa's full trust. Thanks in large part to him, Habsburg Austria entered the Treaty of Versailles (1756) with her old enemy France (in 1757 expanded to include Russia and Sweden) against the Kingdom of Prussia to win back Silesia. This alliance was considered a great feat of diplomacy, and established Kaunitz as the recognized master of the art.

Thus began the Seven Years' War, which ultimately failed to bring the lost provinces back to Austria. Kaunitz founded the Austrian Council of State (German: Staatsrat), 1761, overseeing the reorganization of the army under Daun and worked towards the goal of subjecting the church to the state. He followed the thoughts of the Age of Enlightenment and among his aims was also the better education of the commoners. Following the end of the Seven Years' War, Kaunitz gained the title of Reichsfürst (prince of the Holy Roman Empire). The lack of a navy during the war had demonstrated Austria's vulnerability at sea, and he was instrumental in the creation of a small Austrian navy to boost the state's presence in the Mediterranean Sea, laying the foundations for the future Austro-Hungarian Navy.

Although Joseph II generally shared such ideas, his reforms moved too fast and too thoroughly for Kaunitz whose influence grew less during Joseph's reign (1765–90), and even less when Joseph's brother Leopold II reigned; he resigned his office upon the accession of Francis II. Kaunitz died in Vienna and was buried in his family vault beneath the Church of St. John the Baptist in Slavkov u Brna cemetery.

Kaunitz was a liberal patron of education and art. He married Maria Ernestine von Starhemberg on 6 May 1736. She died on the 6 September 1754. Four sons were born of the marriage. His granddaughter Eleonora (daughter of Kaunitz's son Ernest) married his successor in the office of the State Chancellor, Prince Klemens von Metternich."
URL of the statue: Not listed

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